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Define feminism for essay purposes
Define feminism for essay purposes
What is feminism? By general definition
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In this paper, I will argue how Marilyn Frye’s Door Opening Ritual is significantly incomplete. Instead of assuming all women are faced with the same challenges, Frye should have noted each woman will have her own experience based off of her background. Thus being a factor in what “doors” will be opened for her.
I will begin this paper by discussing how this idea can be problematic to all women, especially women of color. I will do so by briefly explaining the Door Opening Ritual and then giving evidence found in her article as to how it contradicts her argument Then, I will conclude this paper with suggestions on how to better this example and make it more inclusive and appropriate for the definition of oppression.
In her article
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published in 1983, Marilyn Frye addressed a significant problem many face on a daily basis; ‘Oppression’. More specifically, this article was written to address the oppression of women. In this article she noted it was time for a more ‘clear’ and ‘sharp’ definition of the word Oppression. This was due to the current definition being misinterpreted and used in an improper manner. Later in her article, she refers to her idea of the Door Opening Ritual. The belief that men open doors for women due to the idea that women are unable to do so themselves. In essence, this is a man's way of dictating a females choices and how she will accomplish certain tasks. Critics may argue, the example of the Door Opening Ritual was used to cover the basis of what oppression was from Frye’s point of view. She felt the definition was not clear. The inclusion of the example was to show how easy it is to oppress an individual by observing obvious characteristics. In the case of the ritual, it is used to show how the action of men holding doors for women can come off as them dictating a woman’s movements. Critics may also argue, In no way is she promoting the oppression of women by using this example either. She explicitly states at the start of her article, “It is a fundamental claim of feminism that women are oppressed.” (Frye, 1983). By stating this, she is acknowledging that she and others are aware that women are oppressed. This leading into the purpose of this article, the discussion on the oppression of women.Therefore, there would be no reason for her to make arguments that oppress women. Critics are mistaken because, while this may seem like a harmless example, it in fact does oppress women. Both the Door Opening Ritual and Frye’s idea that all women are impacted by it. More importantly, it fails to showcase there are other important characteristics that make a woman unique to others. The example tells the reader, there is only one female experience, which then continues the cycle of female oppression. Frye starts by arguing the word oppression needs a new definition, due to it being frequently used in a loose nature. and contradicts argument by referring to the female experience as the same for all who identify with the gender female. I argue, in no way does this example address all forms of oppression. For example, oppression in the form of racism or classism. It is common to see middle/ upper class women favored over lower class women. In addition, white women tend to be favored over women of color. The belief that all women experience the same things as white, middle class women, has been problematic within the Feminist Movement. It is also the problem with Frye’s Door Opening Ritual. The use of the Door Opening Ritual example contradicts her belief that the definition of oppression is not clear. Prior to this Frye states, “Something pressed is something caught between or among forces and barriers which are so related to each other that jointly they restrain, restrict or prevent the thing’s motion or mobility. Mold. Immobilize. Reduce.” (Frye, 1983). By using the Door Opening Ritual as her example, she is using gender as a means to understand the life of females. Frye is mainly observing the idea that this ritual affects women.
Not a specific group of women, but women as a whole. She is stating, because an individual is either born or identifies as female, they will automatically be subjected to the Door Opening Ritual. This can be oppressive to women due to the action of categorizing women together, and making the assumption that all women are alike. By using this example, she is overlooking the fact that not all women experience the same things in their lifetimes.
Frye argues, “It seems sometimes that people take a deliberately myopic view and fill their eyes with things seen microscopically in order to not see macroscopically.” (Frye, 1983). This argument is suggesting, individuals view things from a nearsighted point of view and block out the greater picture. This is exactly what Fyre was guilty of doing when giving the Door Opening Ritual example.
This idea is incomplete because Marilyn Frye is focused on the microscopic view. The view of women as a whole being oppressed, therefore experiencing the same things as one another. This view does not take into consideration other characteristics such as a woman's age, race, sexual orientation and other factors. Had she done this, her example would be stronger, due to her viewing this problem from a macroscopic view. It is common knowledge that women are oppressed. However, the oppression of women of color is rarely
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discussed. In conclusion, while it is true that women are oppressed, the usage of the Door Opening Ritual failed to be inclusive of all women and their experiences as women.
This example groups females togethers and gives the impression that all women experience the same things. However, it fails to addressed the fact that a woman of color is more likely to subjected to oppression than a white woman due to factors such as racism and classism.
The use of this example in her article held little to no significance, and in fact contradicts her argument on the oppression of women. It is a difficult task to find an example of female oppression that is inclusive of all women and their characteristics that make them unique. The true reality is, with the introduction of new laws and policies, there is still a divide in the representation of females and their needs.
I agree with Frye’s belief that the definition of oppression is still not clear. It is the introduction of a new and more clear definition that will help individuals be more aware of oppression and give them the ability to work in an effort to work towards the elimination of this
problem. I would suggest the removal of this example. No matter how it is re-written, there is no true solution to make the example stronger or inclusive. Following the reading of this example, she gives her view on why oppression is still prevalent in our society. It is due in part to individuals categorizing others due based off of similar characteristics, and failing to view the things that make them unique.
However, we cannot completely assume this article is going to persuade all women to progress beyond these issues by uniting and devoting themselves to these underlying conflicts. Some readers may fear the impossible of completing such a great task as this because this problem has continued to linger from the 70’s into now. Overall, Laurie has accomplished a great task in showing her dedication to women’s rights and their future by delivering the problems and also giving the readers insight on how to solve them. In detail, Laurie not only explains the issues she has seen, but also she explains her personal experiences so the readers can better relate to the message she is trying to
As much as men are working, so are women, but ultimately they do not face the same obstacles. For example, “Even if one subscribes to a solely economic theory of oppression, how can one ignore that over half of the world's workers are female who suffer discrimination not only in the workplace, but also at home and in all the areas sex-related abuse” (Moraga 98). This gives readers a point of view in which women are marginalized in the work place, at home, and other areas alike. Here Moraga gives historical accounts of Chicana feminists and how they used their experiences to give speeches and create theories that would be of relevance. More so, Moraga states how the U.S. passes new bills that secretly oppress the poor and people of color, which their community falls under, and more specifically, women. For instance, “The form their misogyny takes is the dissolution of government-assisted abortions for the poor, bills to limit teenage girls’ right to birth control ... These backward political moves hurt all women, but most especially the poor and "colored." (Moraga 101). This creates women to feel powerless when it comes to control one’s body and leads them to be oppressed politically. This places the government to act as a protagonist, and the style of writing Moraga places them in, shines more light to the bad they can do, especially to women of color. Moraga uses the words, “backward moves”
In addition, these women were often subjected to control, domination, and violence by men” (Global). This validates Azuela’s stance on how women should stay within their traditional roles because fighting for equality has been ineffective even today.
illustrates the discrimination against women and the issues that arise from a gender double standard society.
Marilyn Frye, a feminist philosopher, discusses the idea of oppression and how it conforms people into gender roles. She claims that it is based upon membership in a group which leads to shaping, pressing, and molding individuals, both women and men.
Women and men are not equal. Never have been, and it is hard to believe that they ever will be. Sexism permeates the lives of women from the day they are born. Women are either trying to fit into the “Act Like a Lady” box, they are actively resisting the same box, or sometimes both. The experience of fitting in the box and resisting the box can be observed in two plays: Lorraine Hansberry’s “A Raisin in the Sun” and Henrick Ibsen’s “A Doll House”. In Hansberry’s play, initially, Beneatha seems uncontrolled and independent, but by the end she is controlled and dependent; whereas, in Ibsen’s play Nora seems controlled and dependent at the beginning of the play, but by the end she is independent and free.
However, the hardships and misfortunes of other groups of women due to race, religion, sexual orientation, etc are not often mentioned because feminism has a widespread message and definition worldwide. In the United States, black women or any women with darker skin complexions were treated inhumanely and did not, also still today did not benefit from white privilege. As explained, referring back to the era of slavery up until the American Revolution black enslaved women were mistreated due to the color of their skin and they were without a voice because of their lack of power in a society where man had more power over women and blacks were overpowered by those with lighter skin. Overall, it is important to note and realize that all women were subjected to unequal treatment due to many variables, but some women more than others because of certain variables as
African American women are considered the most disadvantaged group vulnerable to discrimination and harassment. Researchers have concluded that their racial and gender classification may explain their vulnerable position within society, despite the strides these women have made in education, employment, and progressing their families and communities (Chavous et al. 2004; Childs 2005; Hunter 1998; Settles 2006; Wilkins 2012). Most people agree that race and gender categories are explained as the biological differences between individuals in our society; however sociologists understand that race and gender categories are social constructions that are maintained on micro and macro levels. Historically, those in power who control the means of production within a society have imposed race, class, and gender meanings onto the minority population in order to maintain their dominant position and justify the unequal treatment of minority individuals by the divisions of race, class, and gender categories (Collins 2004; Nguyen & Anthony 2014; Settles 2006;).
She explains that to the imbalance of rights between men and women is largely due to the fact that the men are unwilling to admit that they have more privileges than women but admit that woman have less privileges. Hence they are unwilling to admit that they have to give up their privileged so nothing in society will drastically change as a result.
Feminist Theory is an aspect of considering feminism as having been based on socio-phenomenon issues rather than biological or scientific. It appreciates gender inequality, analyzes the societal roles played by feminists in a bid to promote the interests, issues and rights of women in the society. It is also based on the assumption that women play subsidiary roles in the society. The whole idea of feminism has however experienced hurdles in the form of stereotyping by the wider society. This paper tries to examine some of the effects of stereotypes that feminism goes through, what other philosophers say and the way forward towards ending stereotyping.
Discrimination happens every day, whether inadvertently or not. This mindset has been practiced for thousands upon thousands of years. We live in a society that is quick to judge other individuals based on their cultural background, race, age, even their financial status. Discrimination has been an ongoing issue throughout the world since the beginning of time. Women, throughout history, have experienced discrimination first hand for a long time. The women’s cultural background, race, financial status mattered, but not as much as the fact that she was a woman first. For example, women were thought of as fragile individuals with bodies that were not built to a man’s standard. For thousands
Among the many subjects covered in this book are the three classes of oppression: gender, race and class in addition to the ways in which they intersect. As well as the importance of the movement being all-inclusive, advocating the idea that feminism is in fact for everybody. The author also touches upon education, parenting and violence. She begins her book with her key argument, stating that feminist theory and the movement are mainly led by high class white women who disregarded the circumstances of underprivileged non-white women.
As women, those of us who identify as feminists have rebelled against the status quo and redefined what it means to be a strong and powerful woman. But at what cost do these advances come with?... ... middle of paper ... ... Retrieved April 12, 2014, from http://www.feminist.com/resources/artspeech/genwom/whatisfem.htm Bidgood, J. 2014, April 8 -.
As claimed by the editors of our Anthology, “The forces of Urbanization and Industrialization that led to the decline of slavery also undermined traditional roles for women”. Men and women have been viewed as totally playing different roles in the society, women who are deemed to be the weakest of the two sexes and also more vulnerable should be relegated to the home where she’ll only play the roles of a wife,mother and reproductive item.
The modern world has resulted in earnings, wages and salaries for the women similar to that of men, but the women are continuously facing inequalities in the work force (Andal 2002). This2 can be attributed to the pre-established notion that women shall not be given access to finance or communication with the world outside of the home which is highly unethical and unfair (Eisenhower, 2002). In the past, they were considered as the underprivileged ones which were not thought of having equal rights but this fact has changed now. The status of women can be explicitly defined as the equality and the freedom of the women.